Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 65

Devanagari script

शिवेति द्व्यक्षरं नाम त्रायते महतो भयात् । तस्माच्छिवश्चिंत्यतां वै स्मर्यतां च द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

śiveti dvyakṣaraṃ nāma trāyate mahato bhayāt | tasmācchivaściṃtyatāṃ vai smaryatāṃ ca dvijottamāḥ

Translation

‘ଶିବ’ ଏହି ଦ୍ୱ୍ୟକ୍ଷର ନାମ ମହାଭୟରୁ ରକ୍ଷା କରେ। ତେଣୁ, ହେ ଦ୍ୱିଜୋତ୍ତମମାନେ, ଶିବଙ୍କୁ ଚିନ୍ତନ କର ଓ ସ୍ମରଣ କର।

Word by Word

• śiva: “śiva”
• śiva: Viṣaya (विषय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: इति-पूर्वपद-निर्देशे अव्यक्त-प्रातिपदिकम्; उद्धृत-शब्द (quoted form)

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• dvi-akṣaram: two-syllabled
• dvi-akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvi (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्; द्विगु-समासः (द्वे अक्षरे यस्य)

• nāma: name
• nāma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nāman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्

• trāyate: protects/saves
• trāyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √trā (त्रा)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपदम्, प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• mahataḥ: great
• mahataḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनम्; 'भयात्' इत्यस्य विशेषणम्

• bhayāt: from fear
• bhayāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनम्

• tasmāt: therefore/from that
• tasmāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative) एकवचनम्; सर्वनाम

• śivaḥ: Śiva
• śivaḥ: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे प्रथमा (1st/Nominative) एकवचनम्

• cintyatām: should be contemplated
• cintyatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √cint (चिन्त्)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्; विधिलिङ्गार्थे आज्ञा: 'let (him) be contemplated'

• vai: indeed
• vai: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: vai (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic particle)

• smaryatām: should be remembered
• smaryatām: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ (स्मृ)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुषः, एकवचनम्

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• dvija-uttamāḥ: O best of the twice-born
• dvija-uttamāḥ: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dvija (प्रातिपदिक) + uttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गे सम्बोधन (Vocative) बहुवचनम्

Speaker

Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta) to the Ṛṣis (deduced)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Kedāra (instruction applicable universally)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: dvijottamāḥ

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A pilgrim in a stormy Himalayan pass repeats ‘Śiva’; the syllables appear as luminous script shielding him; fear dissolves into calm as a distant liṅga-light guides the path.

Characters & Entities

• Śiva
• Śiva-nāma

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of Śiva’s name is presented as a direct refuge that removes existential fear.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The verse is a general praise of Śiva-nāma within Kedārakhaṇḍa, not a site-specific māhātmya statement.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

Cintana and smaraṇa of Śiva—practically expressed as nāma-japa and devotional remembrance—are prescribed.